Education
He finished the Spartans 11th all-time leading scorer and currently stands 17th with 1296 career points, and was also the school"s leading career shot blocker with 97 until 2008, when Drew Naymick surpassed this total.
He finished the Spartans 11th all-time leading scorer and currently stands 17th with 1296 career points, and was also the school"s leading career shot blocker with 97 until 2008, when Drew Naymick surpassed this total.
He was a 6"7", 220-40 lbs. power forward who most notably played a part of one season with the Chicago Bulls and a season in the Liga ACB. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steigenga showed athletic ability at an early age, winning the National Football League"s Punt, Pass, and Kick for youths at age nine. As a high schooler, Steigenga had starred for South Christian High School, leading them to the 1988 Michigan Class B title while being named Mr. Basketball of Michigan.
As a collegian, Steigenga started his final three years at Michigan State University, averaging 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in his four years.
A second round pick of the Chicago Bulls in the 1992 National Basketball Association Draft (52nd overall), Steigenga was signed late in the 1996-1997 season when the Bulls needed to fill an injury-depleted roster. He appeared in two games playing a total of 12 minutes and scoring three points.
Athletic, he scored his only field goal aptly enough on an alley oop dunk, against the Toronto Raptors at the United Center. Steigenga would again sign with the Bulls in January 1999, but was put on waivers a few weeks later, without appearing in any games.
Additionally, Steigenga played the 1995-1996 pre-season with the Atlanta Hawks, but failed to make the regular season roster.
From 1992-2000, the Bulls notwithstanding, he represented the College of Business Administration"s Grand Rapids Hoops (1992-1993), Rochester Renegade (1993), Quad City Thunder (1996-1998) and Rockford Lightning (1998–2000), also playing abroad in Spain (Taugrés, 1993) and Japan (Mitsubishi Electric Melco Dolphins, 1995-1996). At the international level, Steigenga was on the silver-medalist 1999 Pan American Games United States team
He was also a member of National Basketball Association Ambassador teams who played in league championships in South America during the summer of 1999, and China the following summer.